Why You Need Web Hosting to PROTECT Your Business

Table of Contents

We Need Web Hosting Because Instagram and Youtube are Unstable

These days many businesses exist solely on social media networks. You have Facebook Marketplace for selling, Instagram for your small business, and Youtube for your monetized media. These services have worked miracles for individuals and small businesses that don’t want the hassle of setting up a new website. You have an in-built algorithm where users can discover, follow, and comment on your videos. And the monetization strategies are simple too.

But relying on social media for your business is dangerous. Each of these services locks you into their ecosystems, where you spend years building a brand and a profile. And then, either slowly or suddenly, the network either loses popularity or you get kicked off. Without an independent web hosting presence, all your hard work can vanish without a trace.

Facebook is a Cautionary Tale

Look how Facebook has fallen. Once the dominant social media giant, Facebook is losing users at an alarming rate. Facebook is now populated mainly by old people with lower purchasing power, and it’s set to decline even further. The attempt at rebranding doesn’t appear to be working. Think of the businesses that spend ungodly amounts of money building their social media presence on Facebook, uploading their videos and marketing materials, only to find their reach crippled by the changing demographics.

When a social media network is in its dominant phase, it feels like it will stay there forever. But history shows that these networks are constantly under threat from newer “cooler” services. The same goes for Instagram and Youtube.

With independent web hosting, you can control your audience and not rely on any individual network’s continuing popularity.

Demonetization is a Real Threat

People get booted off social media all the time – often for no fault. I know at least one business owner whose Facebook page was suspended because Facebook wrongly identified his business name as improper – something he didn’t even consider when starting.

Social media networks can kick you off their sites for reasons beyond your control, usually through a mistake in the algorithm. And getting back in is a huge toss-up, as they don’t have reliable customer service. Even if you don’t get kicked off, platforms like Youtube can demonetize you for breaking unseen or improperly applied rules, cutting you off from your income stream in a single stroke.

With web hosting, your income stream is under your control, and no one can demonetize you.

Countries Ban Social Media Networks

Consider the fate of TikTok and all the individuals and small businesses that poured their money and effort into promoting their business. Countries have responded to geopolitical concerns by censoring TikTok. Hundreds of thousands lost their income when India banned TikTok, leaving them scrambling to recreate their social media presence on alternatives like Instagram. But lightning rarely strikes twice in the same place. Success on one platform by no means assures success on another service.

Contrary to social networks, your site on web hosting won’t be banned by an entire country unless you’re a prominent political actor. For stability and peace of mind, nothing beats web hosting.

Another example is Youtube’s demonetization of Russian networks. If you find yourself on the wrong side of a geopolitical conflict, get ready for massive revenue losses as your preferred social networks cut you off from the audience for whom you’ve spent so many years creating content.

Wix is a Terrible Solution

Wix is no substitute for traditional web hosting, and I’ve written an article on why you shouldn’t use Wix. It takes the worst of web hosting and social media networks and merges them into a single product. With web hosting, you lack the in-built audience and discovery mechanisms of social networks. With social networks, you are locked in. Wix has neither audience discovery nor the flexibility to move to another service.

It’s also much more expensive than web hosting. For example, with the right HostGator coupon, you can get started for as little as $2.57/m, compared to Wix, which has a minimum cost of $16.00/m if you want to have a website without ads. It’s terrible value for money.

What are the Different Types of Web Hosting?

Here are the various forms of web hosting, depending on your needs.

Shared Hosting

Shared hosting is the most basic form of web hosting, and it’s where you should start if this is your first time. It’s cheap and easy to set up. Shared hosting usually comes with a web hosting control panel like cPanel, which gives you automated tools to install WordPress on your domain so that you can create your website immediately.

Shared hosting is for small businesses that don’t expect a lot of traffic. It’s unsuitable if you host many videos or get plenty of traffic. But if you want a “front” for your business with your contact information and the ability to set appointments, then shared hosting should work at a minimal cost.

Recommendations for Shared Hosting:

• NameHero Hosting – Fast, free backups, free security, and excellent customer service
• HostGator – Cheap and reliable
• HostArmada – For global audiences

WordPress Hosting

WordPress hosting is dedicated to WordPress. Distinct from shared hosting, it provides you with unique tools for WordPress management, like free backups and security, and these servers are typically faster than those you find with shared hosting. Here are the cheapest managed WordPress hosting providers for you to get started.

WordPress hosting is more expensive than ordinary web hosting because it uses more resources and requires greater expertise. Some providers will trick you into purchasing “WordPress hosting” when it’s just regular shared hosting.

Recommendations for WordPress Hosting:

• HostGator WordPress – Cheap WordPress hosting with free backups and security
• InMotion WordPress Hosting – Unique NGINX architecture and NVMe drives
• Kinsta – The best WordPress hosting, but expensive
• KnownHost – Server-side caching, free backups, and security

VPS Hosting

VPS hosting is where you have dedicated resources like RAM and CPU to yourself instead of sharing them with others. These resources were linked to an actual, physical server in the old days. But today, web hosts spread the resources amongst many machines, making them more robust. You can check out this page for the best VPS discount. But be warned – moving to a VPS is hard, as it’s an entirely different set of skills compared to shared hosting. Also, avoid the HostGator VPS, as it’s awful.

VPS Hosting Recommendations:

• Liquid Web VPS – The best VPS provider with great features, price, and customer service.
• NameHero VPS – The one I use. Excellent customer service and cost-effective
• InMotion Hosting VPS – NVMe drives, 90-day money-back guarantee, and NGINX servers
• Bluehost VPS – The cheapest managed VPS servers

Cloud Hosting

Cloud hosting is a confusing term. For some, it’s just VPS hosting with resources in the “cloud” instead of a physical server. For others, it means shared hosting, where the resources are distributed over virtual machines instead of actual servers. Here’s the cloud hosting vs shared hosting comparison, and these are the best cheap cloud hosting services. Since I’ve already covered VPS servers above, these recommendations are for cloud shared hosting.

Amazon is trying to enter the shared hosting game with Lightsail AWS, but it doesn’t work because Amazon isn’t set up for this kind of product. You can read more in my Lightsail AWS vs Shared Hosting comparison.

What to Look for in Web Hosting

While price is important, I consider these three web hosting features to be the most important. Namely:

• Backups
• Security
• Server-side caching

Check out the above article for a list of recommendations for web hosts that satisfy all these three criteria.

Final Thoughts on Why We Need Hosting

In short, you need web hosting to make your website robust. 3rd party services, while helpful, aren’t reliable in the long run. You can continue to use them along with your regular website to provide a degree of insulation against frivolous bans and government actions. Your website belongs to you, and no one can take it away. So build something that you’ll have forever.